Wireless IoT communication is the cutting edge of modern consumer and commercial electronics. However, some significant roadblocks stand in the way of IoT ubiquity. In particular, the limited range of current protocols, such as WiFi, Bluetooth, Z-Wave, and Zigbee, limit the applications of those networks, particularly in RF-noisy environments and applications that require long-range communication (which is further limited by government regulation). Additionally, different devices require different amounts of data to control those devices, and typical systems sacrifice range for speed. Thus, low-data devices are range limited by unnecessary data speed. This is especially the case for high-speed protocols such as WiFi, Bluetooth and Zigbee. Another issue facing IoT networks is FCC regulation. The FCC limits power output, and most protocols transmit at maximum power levels, significantly beyond what is necessary to have a stable link, wasting power and unnecessarily reducing battery life. Yet another issue facing IoT networks is that, typically, all listening devices have to process an entire data packet, or at the very least the preamble associated with the data packet, to determine whether that information is intended for those devices. The result is usually negative, and leads again to unnecessary power drain.
Protocols such as Z-wave attempt to address these issues by communicating on the low-data 900 MHz ISM band, but are still significantly range-limited. For example, even when fully meshed, the range of a Z-wave network is only 160 meters. This might be sufficient in some residential settings, but is certainly a significant limitation in commercial settings. Additionally, Z-wave and other similar protocols operate on a single frequency, and rely on time-division and other similar multiplexing to communicate with multiple devices. This makes these protocols especially susceptible to collisions and interference with other networks and devices, and requires additional data to secure communications, all of which increases the amount of data the needs to be transmitted and decreases range. The requirement for multiple hubs and/or devices to mesh and extend the network also increases costs associated with the network with only marginal improvements in range.
Other wireless networks, such as cellular networks, rely on large and expensive antenna arrays, with high power output and expensive high-gain receivers. Because of expense and regulatory limitations, such networks are not feasible for most, if not all, commercial IoT applications, and are certainly out of the question for private residential settings. Thus, despite efforts in the industry, significant problems still remain.